US tightens Covid-19 travel rules as countries race to quell Omicron threat
Gulf Times
Passengers wait in line inside the terminal at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, US.
Air travellers to the United States will face tougher Covid-19 testing rules, as several countries moved to seal-off their borders amid heightened uncertainty around the virulence of the Omicron variant and its ability to dodge existing vaccines.
In Asia-Pacific, Japan and Hong Kong said they would expand travel curbs, while Australia braced for more cases of the coronavirus variant after at least two people visited several locations in its biggest city while likely infectious.
In an attempt to stave off hasty border curbs, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries to apply "an evidence-informed and risk-based approach" to travel measures, saying "blanket travel bans will not prevent the international spread, and they place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods".
Investors remained on edge on Wednesday, even as financial markets came off lows plumbed a day earlier following remarks by the CEO of Moderna (MRNA.O) that raised questions about the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines against Omicron.
